The problem of defining the political participation boundaries in the studies of western scientists

The article reviews the existing Western scientific approaches to define the political participation boundaries. It is underlined that due to decline of electoral participation the principle of political participation is redefined. As a result, the alternative forms of political participation became the focus of interest. Examining classifications that determine the forms of political participation, the author emphasizes the shortcomings of the existing approaches to the study of the political participation phenomenon and recognizes that it can be dangerous to revise the boundaries of the allowed methods for achieving political goals.